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Chapter 2
“It’s not going to work.”
Raven stared at her friend, willing Bailey to understand that one can’t force someone to do something that they aren’t ready to do.
“He’s miserable, Raven,” Bailey explained, leaning forward as far as her pregnant belly would allow. “Underneath that grumbly exterior, Tim is a brilliant, sweet, amazing man.”
Raven snorted. “Sweet?” she repeated in a disbelieving tone. “I’ve met the man, Bailey. There’s nothing sweet about Tim Armstrong.” She shifted, uncrossing then recrossing her legs in the opposite direction. “He doesn’t even believe in what I do. When I met him back in Sidrina, he told me psychology was pop-science.”
“He doesn’t understand what you do,” Bailey argued.
Raven glared at her friend. “He said I was a shyster.”
Bailey cringed, but didn’t relent. She put her hands on her knees, her tone adamant. “Are you seriously telling me that you’re not going to help a man who genuinely needs your expertise because he said something mean to you?”
Raven laughed. “Yes!”
Bailey stared at Raven, watching her features. Then she smiled, shaking her head. “No. Your heart is too soft to ignore someone who is in pain.”
At eight fifty the following morning, Raven carefully stepped into the laboratory and looked around with fascination. She was curious about the various experiments and test tubes filled with colorful substances, but she had to admit, she was more curious to see Timothy Armstrong again. She’d met him in Sidrina, but the man had irritated her immediately when he’d scowled in her direction. She’d done nothing wrong in that moment other than exist! And then he’d increased her anger when the dratted man responded to her polite greeting with a snarky comment. Granted, she’d acted…unprofessionally when she’d snapped at him in return.
But this was a new day. A new chance to show this jerk that her work wasn’t “pop-science”.
This time, she’d be calm and professional. Her new friends, Bailey and Matteo, had hired her to find the grumpy scientist a romantic partner. Pulling her shoulders back and digging deep for patience, she stepped forward. This was her specialty and she would perform her duties perfectly and professionally, she reminded herself. She would not snap at him. She wouldn’t poke him in the chest as she’d done the last time they’d interacted. And she would not, absolutely would not, get into an argument with him.
After glancing through the glass windows of the laboratory, she still had no idea what was going on with all of that science equipment. Her background was in psychology, not chemistry. The two fields were entirely different.
Taking another deep breath, she hurried down the hallway, following the directions from the lobby receptionist. Finally, she came to the double doors with a plaque that read “Doctor Tim Armstrong”.
Taking a deep breath, Raven pasted a bright, professional smile on her face as she stepped up to the older woman’s desk. “Good morning. I’m Raven Markley. I have an appointment with Doctor Armstrong.”
The woman behind the desk looked up, adjusting the glasses that were perched on the end of her nose. The assistant appeared frazzled and harried. She shifted the heavy glasses higher onto her nose again, then searched for a pen that, at some point, had been behind her ear, but was now missing. When she found one, she didn’t use it for anything. Apparently, she just needed something in her hand.
Finally, the woman managed a tight smile, then gestured to one of the chairs. “Doctor Armstrong will be with you in a moment, Ms. Markley,” she replied, then glanced nervously at the closed door.
Raven understood the look. It screamed, “I hope you get him out of here!”
“Has he been a challenge lately?” Raven whispered conspiratorially. Over lunch with Bailey yesterday, she had heard all about Timothy Armstrong’s abnormally grouchy demeanor. In fact, it had been Raven who had suggested that he probably just needed to get laid.
Never in her wildest imaginings had she expected her friend to suggest that Raven do exactly that for the jerk. The last time Raven had spoken to the Armstrong ass, she’d vowed to stay as far away from the admittedly brilliant scientist as possible.
The man’s flustered assistant opened her mouth to say something, but before she could utter a word, the office door jerked open. The tall, devastatingly handsome, shockingly brilliant, legendary Doctor Timothy Armstrong stalked out. And just as he’d done the last time she’d seen him, he didn’t stop until he was less than a foot away from her.
He was trying to intimidate her. He was almost a head taller than her in her heels and his blue eyes glared down at her, pinning her in place. Intimidation? Interesting, she thought. That’s not the usual reaction she received from new clients.
Normally, that wasn’t a problem. But this guy was so tall! And his shoulders were…really wide and unexpectedly delicious. She suspected that he’d been a gangly nerd during his high school years, but he had filled out since then. He was now a hard muscled, lithe Adonis who was the envy of every company that dealt with chemicals in any way.
“You’re here,” he snapped, his short, sandy blond hair slightly mussed, making her fingers itch to brush it back in place. He continued to glare down at her and she suddenly felt like a bug under a microscope.
Bristling at his lack of a professional greeting, Raven straightened her shoulders, refusing to back away. She lifted a sarcastic eyebrow and returned his glare with equal intensity. “Obviously, your reputation for brilliance is justified,” she replied without the snarl that he deserved.
There was a moment of silence as both combatants glared at each other. Raven would not back down!
“You’re here to do your voodoo magic on me?” he demanded.
Raven stiffened at the insult. “Are you saying that my process for finding eligible matches between two individuals isn’t based on science?”
He shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his charcoal slacks. “I’m saying that your profession is based off feelings. And feelings are usually transient.” He paused. “Am I wrong?”
